McCain's Energy Plan Seeks Break From Bush

Ariz. Senator Criticizes Obama On Windfall Profits Tax, Even Though He Once Said He'd Consider It

(CBS/AP)  Republican Sen. John McCain called for a clean break from Bush administration energy policies on Tuesday, then promptly pivoted to accuse campaign rival Barack Obama of supporting recycled measures that failed in the past.

McCain's bid to chart a middle course on a major issue hit a bump, though, when he criticized Obama for proposing a windfall profits tax despite saying last month he would consider the same proposal.

In a speech in energy-producing Texas, McCain said the United States needs more oil than during the Arab oil embargo of the 1970s, yet produces less. Now, he warned, a single successful terror attack at an oil installation could plunge the country into an "economic crisis of monumental proportions."

With President Bush's poll ratings at historically low levels, McCain often emphasizes his differences with the current administration, and he coupled his speech with the release of a new television commercial stressing an issue that appeals to environmentalists.

"John McCain stood up to the president and sounded the alarm on global warming - five years ago," the ad states. "Today, he has a realistic plan that will curb greenhouse gas emissions. A plan that will help grow our economy and protect our environment." Aides said the commercial would run in several battleground states and on cable television over the next several days.

Democrats immediately said McCain was not credible on the issue.

"How can we trust John McCain to confront soaring gas prices or break America's dependence on foreign oil when he caved in to Big Oil on drilling and tax breaks ... and he has repeatedly opposed incentives for green jobs and renewable energy?" said Karen Finney, a spokeswoman at the Democratic National Committee.

McCain included little in the way of new proposals in his speech, other than to call for reform of the laws governing the oil futures trading market and to repeat his day-old support for an end to the federal moratorium on offshore oil drilling. He favors allowing states to decide whether to explore offshore waters.

He said he would outline additional specific measures in the next two weeks, and instead, used his speech to make the case for eliminating U.S. dependence on foreign oil, call for a break from Bush policies and criticize Obama.

"... In effect, our petrodollars are underwriting tyranny, anti-Semitism, the brutal repression of women in the Middle East, and dictators and criminal syndicates in our own hemisphere," said the Republican presidential nominee-in-waiting in his prepared remarks.

"The next president must be willing to break with the energy policies not just of the current Administration, but the administrations that preceded it, and lead a great national campaign to achieve energy security for America," he said.

McCain also reiterated his opposition to a 2005 energy bill that Bush backed and Obama voted for.

As for his Democratic rival, McCain said sarcastically, "I'm all for recycling - but it's better applied to paper and plastic than to the failed policies of the 1970's"

McCain said Obama "says that high oil prices are not the problem, but only that they rose too quickly. He's doesn't support new domestic production. He doesn't support new nuclear plants. He doesn't support more traditional use of coal, either."

Instead, McCain said Obama "wants a windfall profits tax on oil, to go along with the new taxes he also plans for coal and natural gas. If the plan sounds familiar, it's because that was President Jimmy Carter's big idea too - and a lot of good it did us."

Despite his criticism, on May 5, while campaigning in North Carolina, McCain said he was willing to consider the same proposal.

"I don't like obscene profits being made anywhere. I'd be glad to look not just at the windfall profits tax, that's not what bothers me, but we should look at any incentives that we are giving to people - or industries or corporations - that are distorting the markets," he said.

A spokeswoman said McCain had neither erred in his earlier comment nor changed his mind since. "He said he is willing to look at all ideas not simply Republican or Democratic ideas," said Jill Hazelbaker, McCain's communications director.

McCain said the time has come for the United States to make a "great turn away from carbon-emitting fuels."

He called for greater use of nuclear power as well as for alternative energy sources and greater conservation measures.

"Over time, we must shift our entire energy economy toward a sustainable mix of new and cleaner power sources. This will include some we use already, such as wind, solar, biofuels, and other sources yet to be invented," he said.

"It will include a variety of new automotive and fuel technologies - clean-burning coal and nuclear energy - and a new system of incentives, under a cap-and-trade policy, to put the power of the market on the side of environmental protection," he said.

McCain says he wants to reduce greenhouse gasses. Then he says he wants to increase use of coal and petroleum.
What''s with this guy?

There was a big patriotic fervor in favor of the Iraq war. Most of Congress got caught up in it. So did most reporters.
The few reporters who had anything critical to say got their stories killed by the media honchos.

Those of us who said, "Let the inspectors do their jobs" were called traitors, and ignored in the stupid rush to war.

The war in Afganistan, which I supported, was largely abandoned. Al Qaeda was allowed to run away.

Remember, it has been exposed that Bush was planning to attack Iraq when he first got into office.

[kansas1946]

the decision to go to war was backed by a majority of Democrats as well. They had the same data to back their vote. They just now think it is politically expedient to oppose the action. All their actions are predicated on how they can make a political gain.

Posted by bretster7
***************************************

First, let''s clear up a point here. The Democrats voted on a bill to allow Bush to go to war with Iraq, "AS a last resort."
Second, I don''t think anyone at the time knew what an immoral, lying, devious, unpatriotic, evil, SOS, that Bush was. It is really hard to digest. So, don''t blame the Democrats, blame Bush, Rumsfeld, Cheney, and Bremmer. They are the creeps that lied, got 4000+ brave soldiers killed, untold thousands injured, and have almost sent the US into bankruptcy. This is not a party issue. Any good American should be horrified at this president, and it seems about 80 percent of us are good Americans.

[kansas1946]

CBS/AP) Republican Sen. John McCain called for a clean break from Bush administration energy policies on Tuesday, then promptly pivoted to accuse campaign rival Barack Obama of supporting recycled measures that failed in the past.

McCain''s bid to chart a middle course on a major issue hit a bump, though, when he criticized Obama for proposing a windfall profits tax despite saying last month he would consider the same proposal.

*******************************
Gosh, not only a flip-flopper, but a flip-flopper with a memory problem. When you are trying to kiss up to every person that you want to vote for you, it can get kinda confusing. "Oh what a tangled web we weave...."

[firststate]

the decision to go to war was backed by a majority of Democrats as well. They had the same data to back their vote. They just now think it is politically expedient to oppose the action. All their actions are predicated on how they can make a political gain.

Posted by bretster7

A majority mistakenly believed that the president would tell the truth about something so serious as starting a war that would get some in our military killed. Others risked being called traitors because they knew the war would strengthen Iran in the region said, no. Some said no because they thought it would distract us from getting our attackers, bin Laden and al Qaeda. A few actually took the time to at least scan the National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) and said no. All the reasons 41 stopped Desert Storm without removing Saddam were still valid, but the propaganda drumbeat for war won out and the US lost out. Whatever happened to bin Laden? Nobody can find a guy who is 6 ft. 5 in. tall, walking with a cane while lugging a dialysis machine, generator and fuel.

the decision to go to war was backed by a majority of Democrats as well. They had the same data to back their vote. They just now think it is politically expedient to oppose the action. All their actions are predicated on how they can make a political gain.

Posted by bretster7 at 04:16 PM : Jun 17, 2008

=====

That might be true, but some of us knew that the war in Iraq was wrong from the beginning. We protested. Obama knew. He spoke out.

It''''s that simple. They are not interested in easing your suffering by helping lower oil prices.

Posted by LibH8er at 09:24 AM : Jun 18, 2008

So, you believe that politicians should not consider what is best for the country or the planet. They should just help you avoid the logical consequences of your bad choices.

We have known for decades that there were economic and environmental problems with using so much oil. We need to get away from that bad habit.

You have to burn oil or coal or NG to produce the electricity required to compress the air, so it is not going to lessen the impact of emissions or fossile fuel dependency, it just hides it, in a socalled "zero emissions" vehicle.

Posted by bretster7 at 04:34 PM : Jun 17, 2008

=====

Wind Power can do much of it, with coal, oil, and natural gas for backup.

[libh8er]

More big oil tax breaks.
Posted by tru_america1 at 08:37 AM : Jun 18, 2008

Blah...blah....blah.......the bedwetting lib mantra.
Every gallon of gas you buy is a vote for a democrat. DemocRATS are invested in making sure Americans suffer at the pump so they can attempt to regain power in November.

It''s that simple. They are not interested in easing your suffering by helping lower oil prices.

[watcher269-2009]

McCain''s Energy Plan Seeks Break From Bush

That is until his lobbyists change his mind again!

For more of the Same - vote John Hussein McCain

[firststate]

The many faces of the former straight-talker, John McBush. Everybody has to agree with him because he''s for both sides of most issues.

[obama8years]

bretster7 - You Rock. No Holds Bar, dude the way you shred liberals is like an art form. AMAZING!!

[obama8years]

didnt know this , I thought Bush Lied, now the Liberals are saying he didnt Lie? Which is it, did bush lie or not?


(taken from another poster)
Liberals:

Read this op-ed that one of your liberal friends wrote. It explains how "Bush Lied" is a liberal lie:

http://www.latimes.com/news/prin

tedition/opinion/la-oe-kirchick16-2008
ju
n16,0,7766785.story

The truth is out, and how it must hurt you.

[homespunlady]

Dark Market = ANONYMOUS trades = not easily traceable = OPEN INVITATION to corruption, money laundering and market manipulation.

Dark Market trading IS the "DRUG DEALING" of the commodities market.

[homespunlady]

Revolutionary air car runs on compressed air
Mike Aivaz and Muriel Kane
Published: Friday January 4, 2008
BBC News is reporting that a French company has developed a pollution-free car which runs on compressed air. India''s Tata Motors has the car under production and it may be on sale in Europe and India by the end of the year.

The air car, also known as the Mini-CAT or City Cat, can be refueled in minutes from an air compressor at specially equipped gas stations and can go 200 km on a 1.5 euro fill-up -- roughly 125 miles for $3. The top speed will be almost 70 mph and the cost of the vehicle as low as $7000.

The car features a fibreglass body and a revolutionary electrical system and is completely computer-controlled. It is powered by the expansion of compressed air, using no combustion at all, and the exhaust is entirely clean and cool enough for use in the internal air conditioning system.

Tata Motors is known for its interest in innovation and has been selling compressed gas buses since 2000. It is currently working on producing the world''s cheapest car, which will be almost 100% plastic and will sell in India for about $2500.

Tata is also expanding into the world market.

[bretster7]

Goodbye for now. I have to get back to my Dark Market trading, so I can profit on the backs of the little guy. LOL

[bretster7]

Hello, is there anyone there? All I hear are crickets.

[bretster7]

nonloyalist said,
Cause wars so that the price goes up and makes even more oily money for the fascist party. Then Americans will get so desperate they will call for more drilling like in ANWR and will even start agreeing with the real reason for Afghanistan and Iraq: the OIL!!!!!



What???? So the Republican party owns all the stock in the oil co''s?

Actually more than 70% of the oil company stock is is publically held. Most of it is in growth funds for peoples retirement accounts and 401K''s

Get oil men elected to the highest offices so they won''''t tax the oil.

Again,,, WHAT????
Tax breaks to oil companies for exploring new resources have been around for much longer than Bush has been in office.


Please get some facts before you spout off.

[bretster7]

homespun said,
Hopefully CONGRESS WILL investigate and JAIL NOT TAX the profiteers



Homespun, if you paid any attention at all to what has been happening you would know that Congress has looked into profiteering and price fixing by the oil companies, several times in the past six or seven years, and have found NOTHING.

[bretster7]

homespun said,
How''''s that "DARK MARKET" trading going for you Bretster7?

Hopefully CONGRESS WILL investigate and JAIL NOT TAX the profiteers!

Again, I was just trying to dialog and all you guys can do is return with stupid rhetoric. Are any of you going to answer any of the questions?